Car top boat and bed



Dec. 31, 1957 N. A. NEILSON ,8 8

CAR TOP BOAT AND BED Filed April 9, 1956 EQMets-She'et 1 IN V EN TOR.

N. A. NEIL-SON" CAR TOP BOAT AND BED Dec; 31, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1956 INVENTOR.

/VL.5 A. A/E/AS'O/V A rroem K5 Dec. 31, 1957 N. A. NEILSON 2,817,352

' CAR TOP BOAT AND BED Filed April 9, 1956 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 h \I A Q E: v Q $5 QR INVENTOR.

N566 14. A/E/LSON CAR TOP BOAT BED Nels A. Neilson, Bellingham, Wash. Application April 9, 1956, Serial No. 576,942 12 Claims. (Cl. -9119) A hunter, fisherman, or other devotee of outdoor sports often goes into areas where overnight accommodations are lacking, and where, in order to pursue his sport, he must carry bedding and a'boat, in. addition to his gear and supplies, hiscompanions, and sometimes a hunting dog. In other words, hehas-quite. a lot of bulk to transport, and butlimited spaceinwhich to carry it. Often the roads leading to such placesare poor, and it is impracticable to drag a trailer behind the:car in which he rides, and so he must carry everything in 'or upon his car. While he can mount a boat upon the top of his car, usually such aboat is ofr'athersmall size and somewhat inconvenient in use,- and the smallspace available for all purposes permits the carrying of no more in the way of bedding than a sleeping bag or thelike, which means that the sportsman must tryto sleep on the ground, cramped and in discomfort, especially'so if theweather is bad.

Primarily, the object of thepresent. invention is to provide a practicable way of transporting adequately comfortable beds and bedding for astmany as four persons, and shelter therefor, by means of which the sportsman and his companions may rest comfortably upon a spring base and upon a mattress of full size or nearly so, off the ground, and sheltered from rain and the like,

yet may also have available a full size boat, usable sepk arately, yet the boat can constitute an integral part of his shelter for the night, and assists inholding'the entire load stable upon the car while traveling. All of this, bed, bedding, and boat, according to the present invention, is so designed as to be capable of being folded up and carried upon the top of the car, taking no more room than would a boat of the size employed, so that the interior of the car and its trunk are available for transportation of persons, dogs, guns, gear and supplies.

Although the boat preferably constitutes an integral part of the overnight shelter, the arrangement is such, according to this invention, thatvth e boat may be removed and used, and the shelter. will still be sufiiciently intact to keep out rain, so that at the'close ofeach day the returning sportsman, will, have a dry, comfortable bed, already set up for use.

In addition, it is an object of'this invention to provide, as part of the combination, a means to assist in placing the boat upon the car top and removing it therefrom, which means also functions, in its' preferred form, to senited States Patent; Q F

cure the boat adequately upon the car. topwhile travcling.

It is also an object of this inventiontoprovideas part of the shelter an endframe which is also, it the preferred form, a part of the. boat itself,.. and which can constitute a decking for the boat.

It is an object of this invention so to, coordinate the sizes and shapes of the boat and its components, and of the bed frames and the remainder'Qfthe shelter, thatall w l interfit p ctly and ee' elv when mounte p n the ar p for a l n yet when th' sh ter-i unf l ed,

2,817,852 Patented Dec. 31, 1957 ice 2, it will constitute an entirely adequate and enclosed shelter.

It is, of course, an object to provide a device of the character indicated which' canbe readily assembled and disassembled, and which can be handled very readily by two persons or, in case of need, by' a lone person by himself.

The invention will be better understood from a study of the accompanying drawings, wherein the device is shown in a presently preferred form, and from this specification and the accompanying claims, wherein those features which are of the essenceof the invention are set forth.

Figure 1 is an isometric view, broken back in successive steps, illustrating the device set up and in condition for use as ashelter.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device set up for traveling and'mountedupon the top of a car.

Figure 3 is in thenatureof a plan view, being actually a section at the plane indicated at'33 in Figure 2, showing the device set up for traveling and in its relation to the supporting car.

Two bed frames 1a and 1b are of suitable conformation, substantially rectangular and of substantially the size of a full double bed. The particular nature of the springs or spring fabric is immaterial, and while coil springs in a suitable frame can be used, yet'for minimum thickness the spring fabric is shown inthe form of 'metal tapes supported at the edges'b'y tensioned coil springs. Mattresses 10a and 10b are intended" to rest upon these bed frames 1a and'lb, respectively. The two bed frames are hingedly connected together by a transverse hinge indicated at 11, the hinge axis being upraised sufficiently above the level of the frames 1a and 1b to provide space to accommodate the two mattresses when the frame 1b is folded back over the frame 1a, as it is for purposes of transportation. Brackets terminatingin hooks 16, later referred to, space apart the free-ends of the bed frames when folded. The composite bed frame is supported in part by legs 12, having rubber feet 12a for resting upon the car top and, in order to keepthefeet' 12a from contact with the ground, somewhatlonger legs 13 may be provided, hingedly mounted at 14, which may be swung outwardly to raise the level of the bed frames in the center a little higher than they wouldvbe raised by the legs 12. These legs 13 are securable'in a folded position, for transportation, by the securing means at 15.

Two end frames are provided for supporting the outer ends of the bed frames 1a and 1b, when unfolded. The rear end frame 2,is approximately rectangular, and is intended not only to support the bed frames anda canopy, to be described later, when thearrangement is set up as a shelter, but this rear end frame 2 serves also, although somewhat indirectly, to support the rear end of the boat as the sameis carried above the car. This rear end frame is provided with slots 20 at each side for the reception of thehooks 16 upon the bed frame 1a, so asto support the rear end of the bed frame 1a. at approximately the same level above the ground as its forward end is supported by the legs 13. Register pins 17 are received in holes in the bed frame 1a,.tobrace the assembly. Above the level of the bed frame, the end frame 2 rises as a reetangular arch for the support of a canopy, when the device is set up as a shelter, and for the. support of the boat when the latter constitutes part of the, shelter. On

the other hand, when thedeviceis folded and mounted received the register pins 17, and this braces the boat supporting assembly for traveling. The lower ends of the uprights of the rear end frame 2 are provided with hooks 22 which, as Figure 2 shows, are engaged in a bracket B which fastens upon the rear bumper of the car. To further brace the support when mounted upon a car, a longitudinal diagonal rod 23 is employed, connecting the legs 12 and the uprights of the end frame 2.

The forward end frame 3 could be, but preferably is not, rectangular in form, but rather is pointed, corresponding generally to the shape of the gunwale of a boat 4 which is part of the combination. The end frame 3 supports the forward end of the bed frame 1b in the same manner as the frame 2 supports the rear endof the bed frame 11:, supporting the unfolded bed frame 11) above the ground and coplanar with the bed frame 1a, and rising as an arch above the bed frame 1b; Preferably, the end frame 3 is hingedly mounted at 30 to the bow of the boat 4, for a purpose which will appear shortly.

The boat 4, preferably fabricated of aluminum sheets, is of a length approximating the length of the unfolded bed frames in and 1b, that is to say, it is approximately twelve feet long, much in excess of the length of the usual cartop boat, and it has a beam at the gunwale, throughout the greater part of its length, somewhat in excess of the width of the bed frames. Its sides flare upwardly and outwardly, and at the level of the seats or thwarts 40 and 41 its beam is about equal to the Width of the folded bed frames. When the boat is set up, inverted, upon the end frames 2 and 3, the boat covers most of the area of the unfolded bed frames. When the boat, inverted, is supported with its rear thwart 40 and its amidship thwart 41 resting upon the respective ends of the folded bed frames, these thwarts are sufiiciently below the level of the gunwale of the boat that the folded bed frames are substantially completely enclosed within the boat, and the boat can not be displaced sidewise, for the bed frames at their sides engage the inner sides of the boat. Various means may be employed for securing the boat so that it can not be displaced longitudinally nor upwardly, and so will not jounce off the supporting bed frames. Such means, for instance, may include the books 42 engageable with the amidship thwart .1, and a hook 52 which engages a stud 45 in the transom, as will later be described in detail.

It will be noted that when the parts are folded for transportation the arched forward end frame 3 may lie along the gunwale of the boat, at the bow thereof, and may be received and retained frictionally or otherwise within a groove 43 in the gunwale. Moreover. by providing a plate 31, spanning the upper portion of this arch, this plate may constitute a deck over the bow of the boat when the boat is in use, yet is not in the way when the end frame 3 is used as part of the shelter.

The lightest of such boats weighs something in excess of one hundred pounds, and consequently, being also bulky, it is not an easy task to lift the same onto the top of a car, or to remove it therefrom. So that this may he done readily and without likelihood of damage to the finish of the car, or to the boat itself, I provide arms which are pivotally mounted at 50, between their ends, upon the rear end frames 2 or upon a bracket 24 projecting therefrom, which arms carry rollers 51. The arm 5 may swing laterally outwardly into a horizontal position, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, or into a vertical position as shown in dash lines in that figure, or as shown in full lines in Figure 2. The hook 52, previously mentioned, is formed at one end of this arm and at the opposite end is mounted the roller 51, in such manner that the roller may not only revolve around the arm 5, but may move axially along the arm. This roller 51 at each side constitutes a support over which may run the gunwales of the boat, in the manner best shown in the dotdash position of the boat in Figure 2, as the boat is being raised onto the top of the car, or removed therefrom. The permitted movement of the roller 51 lengthwise of the horizontally disposed arm 5 accommodates the belly of the gunwale. When the boat is in carrying position on top of the car, the hook 52 will engage with the stud 45 of the boat, already mentioned, and when the arm 5 is secured in its vertical position by the securing means at 53, the engagement of the hook 52 with the boat secures the after end of the boat to the end frame 2. The arm 5 can be secured in its horizontal position by engagement of the same hook 52 with a stud 25 upon the bracket 24.

A canopy is provided to close in the bedding and to protect the same against rain. Such a canopy, of canvas or the like, is indicated with its curtains 6 in Figure l, and preferably it has also a top 60. This canopy is well supported about its upper edge from the gunwale of the boat, although preferably there are additional means for independent support of the canopy, as will be explained shortly. The canopy may have, for instance, a stiffening head 61 incorporated about its upper edge, and this head may be engaged in clips 46 distributed along the inside of the gunwale of the boat, whereby to hold the canopy upraised and to permit it to drape down along and about the side edges of the bed frames. At the rear end the canopy walls are substantially vertical, but at the forward end, where the bow of the boat pinches in, the canopy is similarly pinched in at the top, although at the bottom it still extends to the full width of the bed frame. The top 61) may be integral with the side walls of the canopy, and is supported in the same manner. It will be obvious, of course, that the canopy will be provided with an entrance opening.

Since it is intended that the boat shall be at times removed to leave the shelter in place, it is desirable to provide means independent of the boat for supporting the canopy. To that end, an upright post 62 is provided. the lower end of which may be supported from the bed frames. Spreaders 63, hingedly mounted upon a slide collar 64 slideable lengthwise of the post, at their outer ends carry short tubes 65 within which are engaged the ends of the stiffening beads 61. These beads are divided at the point where their ends engage the tube 65. for the canopy itself must be folded between the bed frames when the bed is folded. When the spreader is u raised along the post 62, it will support the canopy in the same manner as the spreader of an umbrella maintains the umbrella open. The boat can then be removed. of course first disengaging the clips 46 from the canopy, and the boat may be used with the assurance that the shelter is still intact and tight against the weather.

Assuming the shelter is set up in the manner illustrated in Figure l, and that it is desired to stow the whole for traveling, it has already been pointed out how the boat may be disengaged and lifted off. Upon removal of the boat, the canopy may be lowered, and the bed frames, being disconnected at 16 from the respective end frames, may be folded Over at the hinge 11, one upon the other, enclosing the mattresses and bedding between them, and enclosing between them ordinarily the canvas of the canopy. Any oars may be so enclosed. Now, the folded bed frame may be lifted onto the top of the car, first having folded the legs 13 inwardly, and having set up the rear end frame 2 upon its bracket B. Now, with the forward end of the folded bed frames supported at 12a upon the top of the car, the rear end of the bed frames is engaged with the register pins 18 at the top of the rear end frame 2, and now the bed frames, bedding and the canopy are supported on the top of the car. The normal straps 12b hold down the legs 12 to the car top. The bracing rods 23 may be put in place to maintain the assembly more rigid. Now, with the arms 5 outswung, the boat is tilted with its bow uppermost, and with its gunwale resting upon the rollers 51, and the boat can then be lifted upwardly and rolled forwardly until it can be set down with its thwarts 40 and 41 resting upon the folded bed frame. It is held down by the hooks at 52 and at 42. It should be noted that previously to raising the boat, the forward end frame 3 was folded inwardly onto the top of the gunwale, so that it was out of the way, or if this end frame 3 is separate and not hingedly mounted to the boat, it can be stored between the mattresses. The boat, if further securement is wanted, is provided with a hand-hold 48 at the bow by means of which a line may be run from the bow of the boat down to the front of the car and secured, for example, to the cars front bumper. The stem of the boat has further handles 47, by which to assist in handling the boat.

When it is desired to set up the shelter, the boat is removed first, and the folded bed frames are removed from the car, unfolded, and set up with the end frames 2 and 3. The boat is preferably set on top of these end frames, and the canopy is then supported from the boat, or, as alternatively, the canopy is merely raised by the spreaders 63 and the boat is left ofl, ready for use.

The car top boat and bed described above is designed to accommodate up to four persons, but if only two persons require accommodation, the bed frame would normally be of double width, as shown, but the second, hingedly connected bed frame can be omitted, and the boat can rest, on top of the car, equally well on the one bed frame. Such a boat can be shorter, too; one of eight or nine feet in length will afford adequate space and buoyance for two persons, and will adequately cover the one bed frame, and will be lighter to handle.

I claim as my invention:

1. A car top boat and bed, comprising two mattresssupporting bed frames, transverse hinge means connecting said bed frames end to end for hinging between a folded position, wherein they lie in spaced horizontal planes for storage of mattresses, and a coplanar unfolded position, legs depending from one such frame in the vicinity of the hinge means to support the unfolded bed frames, and formed to rest upon a car top to support the forward end of the folded bed frames, two end frames which in use stand upright at the opposite ends of the unfolded bed frames, the rear end frame being approximately rectangular and of a height to engage a cars rear bumper and to support the rear end of the folded bed frames when the latter are supported at the forward end by said legs upon the car top, means supportingly interengageable between the respective end frames and the corresponding bed frames when unfolded, to define feet depending below the bed frames and canopy-supporting arches above the level of such bed frames, a boat of a size to rest, inverted, upon said arches at stern and bow, and to cover the major area of the bed frames, or alternatively to rest inverted upon the folded bed frames as the latter are supported above the car top, and a canopy detachably supported when in use along the gunwale of said boat and draped along the edges of the bed frames, and when not in use folded between the bed frames.

2. A car top boat and bed as in claim 1, wherein the forward end frame is pointed, and is hingedly joined to the boats stem post, and is of a shape to lie, when folded, along the gunwale of the boat.

3. A car top boat and bed as in claim 2, wherein the forward end frame is formed with a plate at its pointed end, constituting a deck for the boat, and means along the gunwale of the boat for retaining said frame when the latter and its deck is so located.

4. A car top boat and bed as in claim 1, wherein the boat has stern and amidship thwarts located sufliciently below the gunwale, and sufliciently spaced fore and aft, and the boats beam at the level of the thwarts is just suflicient, to support the inverted boat by its thwarts upon the folded bed frame, and to hold its bow elevated above the car top.

5. A car top boat and bed as in claim 1, wherein the canopy includes a top, and means independent of the boat for supporting said canopy and its top upraised whenever the boat is removed from the unfolded beds.

6. A car top boat and bed as in claim 1, wherein the canopy includes a top, a stiffening bead incorporated within the canopy about its upper edge, an upright post for support in the vicinity of the hinge means, and spreaders supported upon said post and engageable with said bead to support the canopy and its top whenever the boat is removed from the unfolded beds.

7. A car top boat and bed as in claim 1, including a stiffening bead incorporated within the canopy about its upper edge, and clips distributed along the boats gunwale for supporting engagement with said bead.

8. A car top boat and bed as in claim 1, a boat-supporting arm carried by the upper portion of the rear end frame, at each side, and a roller mounted on each such arm, in position to engage the boats gunwale for removal from or replacement of the boat upon the car-mounted folded bed frames.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein each roller is mounted upon its arm for axial as well as rotative movement thereon, to accommodate variations in the beam at the gunwale during removal or replacement of the boat.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein each boatsupporting arm is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the end frame, to swing its lower end outwardly for support of the boat, or downwardly, the arms upper end being hooked, and a complemental stud carried by the boat and engaged by the arms hooked end, when the arms lower end is swung downwardly, to secure the boat to the rear end frame.

11. A car top boat and bed comprising, in combination, a bed frame, means to support the front end thereof, when not in use, upon and spaced above a car top, a rear end frame of a height to engage and extend upwardly from the cars rear bumper to support the bed frames rear end at substantially the level of its supported front end, a boat having rear and amidship thwarts located beneath its gunwale by about the thickness ofv the bed frame, and spaced apart lengthwise to rest upon the front and rear ends of the bed frame, with the boat inverted, the boat having a beam at the level of said thwarts greater than the width of the bed frame, and means to secure the boat, so supported, to the bed frame against relative lengthwise displacement.

12. The combination of claim 11, including a boatsupporting arm pivotally mounted between its ends at each side of the upper portion of the rear end frame, to swing from a vertical to a horizontal position, a roller mounted upon each arm for engaging and supporting the boats gunwale, when the arm is in horizontal position and the boat is being removed or replaced, the upper end of said arm being formed for engagement with the boat, when the arm is vertical and the boat is supported upon the bed frame, to constitute, at least in part, the means for securing the boat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,378,448 Thompson June 19, 1945 2,521,815 Will l Sept. 12, 1950 2,684,796 Swenson July 27, 1954 2,718,015 Fisk Sept. 20, 1955 2,727,252 Wheeler Dec. 20, 1955 

